GMMD banking on iKey, interactive online TV
A GMM Digital Domain presenter shows the new iKey, which can be used to download music from the Net.
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GMM Digital Domain Co Ltd (GMMD), the music-downloading arm of GMM Grammy Plc, yesterday launched its digital downloading service "iKey" in a bid to tap into the expanding consumption of digital media.
The company invested Bt50 million developing iKey in order to keep pace with the change in consumer behaviour from buying CDs to downloading music from the Internet and is also developing an interactive television website.GMMD expects iKey to clock up as many as 200,000 subscribers by the end of the year, generating Bt200 million, according to GMMD's managing director Suwat Damrongchaitham. He said iKey allows people to download songs and music videos from the Internet. People can become iKey's members by installing a program from a CD, which will be distributed free by GMMD, on their personal computers, MP3s or mobile phones. Then for Bt119 per month they can download unlimited amounts of material. Those loathe to pay the monthly fee can pay Bt35 per song or purchase passwords from GMMD to download songs sent to them through the iKey programme by their friends. iKey currently has 20,000 songs and 8,000 music videos provided by about 10 music companies both under GMM Grammy and other companies. Suwat said "special content" would be added but declined to give any details. It took a year for the company to develop iKey, which runs on a program called Separated Key Delivery, one of two main technologies currently used in the Thai music download market. GMMD is not concerned about plummeting CD sales, as its target audience is high school and university students who are no longer major CD buyers, already preferring to download music from websites, which they share with their friends. The company plans to promote the service by distributing one million to two million of the free CD programs to high schools and universities. It also plans to organise activities such as meet-and-greet events with pop stars, prize give-aways, as well promoting the service through traditional advertising. Suwat said he hopes iKey will also help compete with pirated CDs by offering good quality combined with low prices. GMMD also plans to invest about Bt60 million to Bt70 million developing interactive television once iKey has established itself. This will include setting up a website to broadcast live programmes and allowing audiences to interact in real time. The company intends to earn revenue from advertisements posted on the website, which will be more expensive than existing ad banners. The company is currently investigating the best technology to allow at least 500,000 Internet users to access the website simultaneously. It expects to launch the channel within the next six months, Suwat said. GMMD expects to generate Bt600 million in sales this year, up 63 per cent on last year. Thirty-per-cent of the total will come from iKey. Nitida Asawanipont, The Nation
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